Chemical manufacture



Aug. 30, 1932. D. 'rowN'l-:ND ET AL CHEMICL MANUFAGTURE Filed July 30.1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS 30, 1932. Y D, TOWNEND E1' AL 11,874,835

' 'CHEMICAL NIANUFAG'EURE v Filed July 5o, 1951 2 sheetsysneet zINVENToRs an lc 70W/79nd ym' VBA-vial )7h/ww' VM.

ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 30, 1932 y i 2i.;i:..x.f;`

DANIEL TOW-NEND, OF `IRQVI'.DlllIhTCIil, AND NELSON-C.-WHITE, OFCRAITSTON,` RHOD I ISLAND, AssIGNoRs Tormrms POINT MANUFACTURING 303x,N. Y., A coRroRA'rroN- or RHODE rsLANni gf j u v,cnrmincian fnanurncrnnni A'p'p'liatin aigri juli 3d,

This invention relates to improvements in electrolytic cells of thediaphragmutype such as are commonly used in the-electrolysis 4of sodiumchloride brines `iforthe production of chlorineand caustic' soda liquor.rIhis ltype of electrolytic cell comprises', generally', a cell chamber,a cathode Vmember arranged .within the cell chamber,"an'anode memberarranged within the cathode member, a' diaphragm arranged betweentheanode member and the cathode member, and a cellI cover shaped to forma chamber forcollecti'on of the gas produced by the electrolysis. Theanode member is Vusually of carbon andl the 'diaphragm is usually eitherofpaperorcloth or composite paper-cloth ucom'struction..l Re# placementof the vanode member and of ythe diaphragm, commonlydesignatedrebuilding of the cell, is a regularly occurring part of theoperation of suchV electrolytic cells.

From the standpoint of economy of'oper'ation, the cells must be arrangedto facilitate such rebuilding, that is thecells must afford a maximum ofaccessiblity. Atthe same time, gas leakage must be reduced to afminimum;These two factors 'are not,4 entirely consistent since the provision ofmeans for ready access to the cell interior usually 'involves multipliecation of joints subject to gasflealrageor rref lated diiculties. Thisinvention provides an improved electrolytic "cell of this typeatfordinga number of important advantages with respect to l accessibilityl whileeliminating joints subject to gas leakage. f l f Theimprovedelectrolytic cell of the rpresent invention comprises a cellchamberfopenlat the top,"a cathode member arranged' with'-,

in theJ cell chamber having a portion extende ing outwardly across theupper edge of the' cell chamber, ythis outwardly'extending portion beingformed to provide njitsupp'er Iside a sealing-tongue, acellcoveriprovided a sealing groove fitting the 'sealing .tonguefon theoutwardly extending portion of: the cathodemember, an anodememberfarranged within the cathode member'and a' diaphragm arrangedbetween :the anode memberand the cathode member, the tipof thesealingf'tongiie j on theupper side of the cathode 'memberex tendingabove'the normal liquidA level inthe v.the invention. y j f 4 f will befurther describedlin cell and th'einne'ry lip of the sealing grooveinthe vc',ove i"extendingbelowthe normal liquid Y replacement' of the icell cover' on the cathode member re-establishes the seal between thesetwo elements.V *The anode member is -advan# ftageously. arranged to4 'besupported .by the cell cover, so' that the sealing' cover and" anodesimplefoperation. t "dvantageousl'y, the "cellf chamber 'provided` withfai' sealing tongue around its upper edge andthejol'itwardly ex-4tending. portion of'` thecathode member is GORPORATION, CF1-NEW Y.,:membergassembly canbe'removed by a single formed vtoprovide onits'lower sidev a sealing grooveifltting.the sealing tongue onthe upperedge offthe cell chamber. Thisadditional seal is include the moreV'slpeciicY aspects of {Thefinvention 'connection with the accompanyingdrawings which" illustrate, diagrammaticallyi and con.-` ventionally,one form of electrolytic cell enig bodyingjthe invention. In vtheVaccompany iiigdrawingsfFig. lis'anelevation, partly s in sectionandfwith parts broken away, -`of a cell embodyingy the f invention,Fig."2 is a 'seclargeddetail, section, of the j ointbetween thecellchamb'er ,and the "cell cover, and Figs. 4 :andy t5" are "enlarged"details" of arrangementsl for;sealingthejoints'between thegasfoffl ftion'9extendingfoutwardl acrss theupper edgefihsfehamberl.6. .i @rodeadatending portie''Ii-being,` formed, as illustrated HIS,

2.0 Y, v c l supported solely by the cover member 11,

groove 12 fitting the second sealing tongue on the outwardly extendingportion 9v of the cathode member 8, a plurality of anode members 13arranged within the cathode member 8, and a diaphragm 145 arrangedbetweenthe anode member '13 and the cathode member 8. The sealing tongue7 and thel co-l operating sealing groove in the lower side of theoutwardly Aextending portion 94 of f the cathode member are advantageousbut are not essential in the broader aspects .of the invention. Thenormal liquid level in the cell is indicated at 15. The normal liquidlevel falls between the upper edge, or tip,

of the sealing tongue on lthe outwardly'ex-Y tendingportion 9 of thecathode member and'the'lower edge of the inner lip'of Vthe sealinggroove 1 2 in the coverfmemberrll', As inl thefcell illustrated, theanode .meins bers 13 are advantageously arrangedto be so that the covermember and the imode member assembly may be removedY audit@L placed as aunit.,` The .anode l'members 13, yin the'V cell illustrated, aresupported by bus bars 16 which 'in turn are supported bypr0 j ection 1 7on the cover member.

' inthe @en illustrated the Cathodemember y is supported from the upper'edge of the cell chamber 6 by the outwardly extendingportion9 of thecathode member, and the diaphragmA 14; is,supportedby the cathode mmber8. `It will be apparentthatremoval of of the cover member andthe anode"inembers affords an immediate and complete, ac*- v ce'ss'tothev'diaphragm. In the cell illus# trated, each of the yez'zte'nsions 18k of anode members l 13 is provided with a skirt 19 exe tendingdownwardly into a lute 2 0 filledV with oilor some appropriate 'putty'orcerne;et,` gesistant to the action of the gas or mixture produced inthecell. The gas oii'l-tlake pipe V2 1 is similarly provided with. afskirt2 2 extending downwardly into a lutef23'ffllled withfan appropriatesealing medium. 4*Conjnection 2 4 is provided for supplying'brine,`

or other solution to be subjected to electroly;

Y sis, to the cell. The outwardlyfextending portions 9ct the cathodemember 8V areCQnf nected to bus bars 25. Connection 26, is. ro:

v idedffor the discharge of the electrolyyze lsolution.v theelectrolysis oli sodium chloride l v brines for the production ofchlorine and caustic soda liquor, rior example, in the form Y'ofzlelectrolytics cell illustrated. in the, drawings, sodiumchloridebrine isV sup l,liedtol the space between the diaphragm'and theanodemembers xthrough connection 124, chlorine Vormedfiscollected in thechamber provided in thecell cover and discharged,throughv pipe 21,hydrogenformed. is collected in andadischarged from the space betweenthe; cathode member and'fthe c cell- 'cl 1 `an 1bf r,"V and caustic bypercolation of the brine through the diaphragm is discharged throughconnection 26. The space between the cathode member and the cell chamberis normally lilled with gas, a liquid level suilicienty merely to eiiectdischarge of the caustic soda liquor through the connection 26 beingmaintained beneath the lower part of the cathode member.

The cell chamber, the cathode member, the diaphragm, and the anodemember may be canstructed of .any of tlieconventional materials. Thecell cover may be constructed Vof concreteor hard rubber, lfor use inthe electrolysis of brine for the production of chlorine Vand causticsoda for example, or of other material resistanty to the gas or gasmixture produced the. cell. The cellcover is advantageously constructedin but a single piece, asa unitary castingfor' example. ',The skirts 19and 22may, for example, be'constructed of steel covered with vulcanizedrubber, for use l`in the electrolysis of brine for the, production of*chlorinevr and causticv i 1. VAn electrolytic. cell comprisingy afcell'chamber open atthe top, a cathodevmember arrangedwithin said'y chamberhaving a portion extendingoutwardly across the V upper edgeofsaidchamber,sjaid outwardly extending portionb'eing formed to provide onits uppersidevapsealmgtongue, a cellcovcr pro- .v

vided with a sealinggroovelitting said sealtongue, an, anodememberarrangedwitliin saidr cathode member and a diaphragm arranged betweensaid anode memberand. said cathode member, "the y.tip of /said sealingtongue extending Vabove the. normal liquid level inthe cell and theinner lip of said sealing groove extending belowrthe normal liquid levelin, the cell;4 if

electr lytic cell comprising a cell chamber open at the top, @cathodelmember arranged within saidz chamber, hay-ing a k.portion extendingoutwardl acrossthe upper edgefof chamber, saidI ine c Perrier.:heiss-,formed t0; provide' O11 its upper side sealingltongue, a vcellcover providedl'with a sealing lgroove.fitti-ng said'sealf legionella@anode member arranged Withir'saidzathodemember andrsurportedsolelybyseiewe and e (larhreemarrenged be# outwardly extend.-

tween said anode member and said cathode member, the tip of said sealintongue extending above the normal liqui level in the cell and the innerlip of said sealing groove extending below the normal liquid level inthe cell. 4

3. An electrolytic cell comprising a cell chamber open at the top andprovided with a Y sealing tongue around its upper edge, a cathode memberarranged within said chamber having a portion extending outwardly acrossthe upper edge of said chamber, said outwardly extending portion beingformed t0 provide on its lower side a sealing groove fitting saidsealing tongue and on its upper side a second sealing tongue, a cellcover provided with a second sealing groove fitting said second sealingtongue, an anode member ar-V ranged within saidV cathode member and adiaphragm arranged between said anode member and said cathode member,the tip of said second sealing tongue extending above the normal liquidlevel in the cell and the inner lip of said second sealing grooveextending below the normal liquid level in the cell.

4. An ele'ctrolytic cell comprising a cell chamber open at the topand'provided with a sealing tongue around its upper edge, a cathodemember arranged within said chamber 'f having a portion extendingoutwardly across the upper edge of said chamber, said outwardlyextending portion being formed to provide on its lower side a sealinggroove fitting said sealing tongue and onits upper side a second sealingtongue, a cell cover pro vided with a second sealing groove ffittingsaid second sealing tongue, an anode member larranged within saidcathode member and supported solely said cover, and a diab phragmarranged byetween said anode member and said cathode member, the tip ofsaid Y second sealing tongue extending abovethe normal liquid level inthe-cell and the inner lip of said second sealing groove extending 'ibelow the normal liquid level in the cell.

In testimony whereof we aiiix our signatures.

DANIEL TOWNEND. NELSON C.

